Voters rethinking Hanson's grievance politics after sustained media scrutiny
A journalist's job is not to cheer politicians. Equally, it is not generally to tear them down. Our primary job is to test them. To challenge them. To hold them accountable. Subscribe now for unlimited. . .
A journalist's job is not to cheer politicians. Equally, it is not generally to tear them down. Our primary job is to test them. To challenge them. To hold them accountable. Subscribe now for unlimited access. or signup to continue readingAll articles from our website& appThe digital version ofToday'sPaperAll otherin your areaFor too long, Pauline Hanson and One Nation have escaped that scrutiny. Leader of One Nation party Senator Pauline Hanson addresses the National Press club. Picture by Keegan CarrollCommercial breakfast television has too often treated Hanson lightly, winding her up like a toy soldier and letting her go, spouting all kinds of things that are rarely challenged. She has been treated as harmless colourful entertainment rather than a politician asking Australians to trust her with power. Her claims have gone largely untested. Outrage has become content. Her rise in the polls gave her some confidence, some swagger. After years of avoiding it, Hanson agreed to appear at theNational Press Club. For one of the first times in years, after her speech, journalists pressed Hanson on the contradictions, gaps and practical realities behind her thoughts. They did what journalists are supposed to do. They asked difficult questions, examined her words, andscrutinised them closely. What happened next was striking. In the days that followed, two separate polls showed support for One Nation slipping and Hanson's personal approval taking a hit. Philosophers and scientists are fond of saying correlation is not proof of causation. Still, it is difficult to ignore the possibility that sustained scrutiny helped voters reassess what they were hearing. That is exactly why accountability matters. Great leaders don't simply identify problems. They inspire people to solve them together. John F. Kennedy understood this. Former Howard government minister Amanda Vanstone mentioned it this week. JFK's famous challenge to "ask not what your country can do for you" wasn't just a memorable line. It invited every citizen to become part of something bigger than themselves. He told Americans they possessed the courage and character to achieve extraordinary things together. Pauline Hanson's message offers the opposite. She rarely speaks about what Australians can build together. Instead, she tells people what to fear, who to blame and why only she understands their frustrations. Her politics is built less on hope than grievance, much like Donald Trump. And we are seeing in real time how that is turning out. Complaining about immigrants might generate headlines. It is not leadership. Nor is spending decades ridiculing Parliament while simultaneously suggesting you are fit to lead it. Australia's Parliament is deliberately designed to be slow, argumentative and accountable. It is not perfect. However, it is a system of checks and balances that has helped make Australia one of the world's most stable liberal democracies. It deserves criticism when it fails, but it also deserves respect from those seeking to govern through it. Real leaders do the hard work. Progressive or conservative. They formulate a working policy, or at least attempt to. They turn public frustration into practical solutions. They engage seriously with committee work, legislation and scrutiny. Whingeing is not governing. There is no doubt Australia faces genuine challenges, the cost of living chief among them. Australians deserve leaders who acknowledge those problems and seek credible answers. We should never mistake permanent outrage for leadership. Because if we start rewarding those who amplify anger instead of solving problems, we risk importing the politics of resentment that has so deeply divided Trump's America. Australia deserves better than politicians who tell us we're victims. We deserve leaders who remind us we're capable of building something better. Craig Thomson is the editor of The Examiner. More from OpinionAs it happensBreaking news alertBe the first to know when news breaks.